


The Gift

by orphan_account



Category: Naruto
Genre: Gen, Male Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-06-11
Updated: 2008-06-11
Packaged: 2017-11-14 06:33:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/512348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"How can you eat so fast without choking?" Gaara asked, once his breath was steady.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Gift

"What are you just staring for? Eat!"

Naruto wasted no time in plowing into his third bowl of ramen while the last half of Gaara's first grew cold. Quite the contrary, he had been eating slowly and carefully, as to savor this gift from his dear friend as something rare and beautiful. He had never been offered a real gift before. That was, by anyone outside of his family. The gift of food was always an important one, so it wouldn't go to waste. Gaara just had to contemplate what he could do in return of Naruto's kindness.

Naruto came here every day. That was, every day he was in Konoha, according to the old man. Gaara supposed treating his friend the following night would be sufficient. It would be done.

"More please!"

As the elderly ramen vendor prepared a forth bowl, Naruto turned toward Gaara, his face scrunched into a tight look. Gaara didn't know what to make of it, so he returned it with a blank stare and proceeded to eat his dinner slowly.

"Don't you like it, Gaara?"

"Yes," answered Gaara. The look Naruto gave him must have been that of worry, but what had he to be worried about? Maybe he'd eaten too much and was feeling unwell. In that case, treating him to ramen tomorrow may not be the best idea. How unfortunate.

Naruto's relieved expression knocked those thoughts aside, however, and when his forth bowl was placed in front of him, he looked ecstatic. It was brief, but Gaara felt the corners of his mouth lift with Naruto's exuberance. He'd come to learn that happiness was a contagious thing, as well as an addictive one. The more Naruto smiled, the more drawn toward him Gaara was.

He wondered what it was, though, that drew all those girls toward that Uchiha Sasuke. Since the Chuunin exams, and even during, it was something Gaara couldn't help but notice. Even Temari was taken by him at first glance. Girls must have been drawn toward unhappiness. Of course, when Gaara was unhappy, girls normally fled for their lives. The minds of women were unfathomable.

Not that the minds of men were any better. Why had Naruto felt the need to question his enjoyment just now? Ramen tasted good. Granted, he preferred other foods over it (none of which contained sand, contrary to popular belief) ramen was good. Gaara ate at a slow pace to savor the gift, but Naruto didn't understand that. Was he doing it wrong? Would eating it quicker make Naruto happier?

He tried that, and in a matter of seconds, ended up getting some caught in his throat. Naruto patted his friend's back as he coughed and coughed, and the old man handed him a glass of water.

"You okay, man?" said Naruto, handing his friend some napkins as regained his breath. Gaara hadn't expected that to happen. Absolute defense didn't work everywhere, apparently.

"How can you eat so fast without choking?" Gaara asked, once his breath was steady. The question seemed to confuse him, though it was a very simple one. Eating ramen quickly made Naruto happy, and Gaara wanted to make Naruto happy. It wasn't such a difficult concept.

"Err, I don't really know," Naruto responded, a sheepish grin planted on his face as he rubbed the back of his head. "I guess I'm used to it."

"I see." Gaara looked down at what was left of his food. He'd managed to eat quite a bit before it got stuck in his throat. At least he had enough to try again. Becoming used to doing something required doing it multiple times.

This time, he managed to finish off the rest of his ramen without choking. Naruto was now staring. He looked silly with that wide-eyed expression, especially with a stray noodle handing from his lip.

"Is something the matter?"

"You have ramen in your hair."

Now Naruto was laughing at him, which was something like the reaction Gaara was looking for. Normally fools were pointed and laughed at, but if being a fool was so bad, why did he feel like smiling again?

E N D


End file.
